Core A is the Administrative Core. It is directed by Dr. Jin Mo Chung, the Program Director. This Core supports all of the investigators in the Program Project. The core includes the services of two support personnel. Vicki Wilson is the Administrative Manager of the Program Project. She maintains communications with the Program Project faculty, organizes meetings, and collects information needed for Progress Reports. In part, Ms. Wilson also serves as the grant management specialist in that she allocates the budget to the different Projects and Cores and keeps accounts of expenditures. Dr. James J. Grady is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at UTMB. He provides advice on experimental design and statistical analysis. His help with power analyses enables the group to predict the number of animals that will be needed for the planned experiments. In addition to routine administrative work, the Administrative Core is involved in educational programs for the Program Project group. These include mini courses and combined conferences between our Pain group and the UTMB Pain Clinic. Therefore, Core A plays central and integral part of this Program Project.